As we are going into autumn up here in Middle Scandinavia - i observe an interesting effect here at my balcony in Southern Stockholm. Due to the drought, many trees got yellow leafs already in mid-August, and then in the end of the month started to litter the streets like in classic autumn (like in October). Giving a strong autumn impression during morning walks.
Now - I realize that most of the yellow has disappeared in the trees since most of those have fallen off - while the surviving green ones (the majority) continue as usual (thanks to lot more rain lately). So, the look of unusual early "autumn" has stopped and "retracted"... or corrected itself if you like. Things look normal again.
Until real autumn comes to town in the beginning of October (dependent on the weather. If it is very sunny, the yellowing may not begin until mid October).
Temperatures
They have been hovering around 20°C during the first week of September 2026, which is a bit above normal average. Now they are starting to dip a little; where the maximum stays above 15°C but below 20°C. in the upcoming days / weeks.
Many packages waiting
Jepp. Many packages are accumulating at my pseudo post office (Muslim tobacco store). And many more are about to come, as well. Tripods. Ball-heads. Clamps. Dovetails. Video devices. Astro Trackers. Batteries. Cables. Filters. Expansion cage, mini tripods, a new travel tripod (i can carry at work), various protection bags/cases.
Gosh, and everything in between.
TWO Gimbal video devices
as well with a sleeve of accessories i deem to be useful, partially even necessary for making my little video clips. Well, that's a funny way of putting it. For little videos, i wouldn't really need any of it. In a way I've gone totally over board with the DJI Osmo Mobile 8P and the DJI Osmo Pocket 4P
Originally i thought i would like to work with the Osmo Mobile - but frankly - i am not really into use my iPhone for everything. Flinging it around in the air all the time. I then thought the Osmo Pocket is perhaps much more useful for me - where the iPhone stays on it's sleeve as usual - and the Osmo device acts for what it exclusively was designed for.
Maybe Sal uses one device... ?
Most likely - or perhaps - Sal uses the Osmo Mobile 8P instead...? Albeit, here is always the risk that whatever digital gadget you give him - he is not into digital stuff. It needs to be simple... well making videos with an iPhone, just talking images or videos. That works best for him, regardless quality. Basta.
Well, it is mainly a built-in attitude of his. We all have it in various way, where we say - what we can't do. The universe then gives us that belief by manifesting it. It is like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Some people say they can't draw or paint. And never try seriously - so they believe in that "as it is", by repeating it over time (also on the inside on en emotional plane).
Isn't that called Confirmation bias ?
One step at a time - things will settle in along the road
So, most likely the Osmo Mobile will stay ... unused ? I don't know. Perhaps at some occasions i might enjoy it after all. It is nifty, make no mistake.
Ultimately I thought - lets get them both. (The Osmo mobile is actually affordable, and even if it potentially stays mostly unused - it is not a big loss)
I wonder though... the Osmo Mobile 8P with an iPhone must be extremely steady when taking night photos, say 10-15 seconds, with Apple ProRAW enabled, in the middle of the night. That might be cooler then expected.
Just a thought. I'll test that later.
I love the "Night shot mode"
The best feature in iPhones of latter date is the Night shot mode. But ONLY if you enable Apple ProRAW - then you get fantastic quality in your night images - given that you can open photos in RAW, and see how smooth truly those are. (Without artifacts) If you only do Night shots in JPG - it looks absolutely terrible, with many artifacts. Awful. I sometimes see exactly that, when people do simple Astro images with their iPhones, but only use the JPG setting... Which is a total waste of quality, never showing true potential of the "Night shot" mode.
The Apple ProRAW settings is worth gold in my opinion, because it rivals cameras with much bigger sensors. Given that you can do the Night shots even hand held yet can get fantastic quality... is in itself amazing. As a photographer, this is one of the best features with the newer iPhones.
I am now curious, that when i use the Osmo mobile 8P Gimbal with the iPhone's night shot mode... it should give truly stable images while you expose for 10-15 seconds.
Night videos in the city
This is also something I would love to do. With the DJI Osmo Pocket 4P - in low light setting, to make videos. The kind of videos, where Sal and I walk along the city streets at night, having a conversation, while filming the scene. In a STABLE way... Since the Osmo pocket it considerably more neat - plus the quality seem to be very good in low(er) light levels, like city streets etc... you can make unforgettable video clips of for example you and your partner walking and talking.
Great memories for a time when you get older and remember back in time. I mean, why not ? I think it is lovely. Trying to give that intimate feeling in a personal conversation between two people... putting that into a video memory.
Ooops - it might turn out 180 the opposite ?
Oh speaking of that... there is a catch. If you put a video camera into my hands - or a sound recording device - it is highly likely, that only goofiness and silliness comes out. I don't know why that is - but it brings the little Ralf out, becoming sooo silly, goofing around all the time. (Ciao grandmother Elfriede... you recognize this just too well, don't you *LOL*)
So, while i dream of the idea taking personal scenes while walking along Stockholm's streets together in the evening.... Hmmmm - reality will probably be just showing goofy videos of two older dudes, who think they are 35 again. Muohahaha.
I have many of such videos from the past... So, maybe all of this, never turns serious in any way - ending up being just silly and goofy.
At times even fun, dependent on the phrases that come to our minds. I do however loved the feeling of laughing and having fun,when the laughter feels like champagne bubbles bursting out of the mouth like fireworks.
Funny scene from 2018
It gives you a hint of how silly Sal and I often are in real life. Make no mistake, even today...
• "Sal had sex with a different man tonight" (2018)
TWO Astro trackers
Yeah, and similar effect happened with buying not one but two Astro trackers. Mama mia. One is so to speak all automatic, and seem to have made Astro photography accessible for many more people than ever before, thanks to its splendid implementation and automation, as well in quality. (ZWO Seestar S50 PRO)
One aspect i find fascinating is, that even under light polluted skies, the Seestar devices make good images of astronomical objects like galaxies, nebulae and star clusters. That I didn't expect (Apparently the S50 PRO has a filter which suppresses the city light by knocking it down a bit - which favors faint object to come forth the longer the exposure goes on. I have seen images made under Bortle 8 skies... which was impressive. I mean given the excessive light pollution a Bortle 8 sky has.
The other Astro tracker Star Adventurer GTi
is more classic, and can either be made into a totally automated device, where you use any camera you have, with any or most lenses you've got. And then with a catalogue make the camera + astro tracker move into the correct position. This however, requires polar alignment adjustments together with checking the alignment against three bright stars - in order for the tracker to find the objects accordingly.
This needs to be done, every time you move the tripod anew...
Astro Landscape photography
You can also use it for more traditional photographic use; where the camera aims at the horizon - but keeps the stars as dots regardless exposure time. This breaks automation of objects - but allows you to so landscape Astro photography. The Astro tracker then only moves the camera according to the speed of earth rotation, while you just aim the camera towards a landscape with stars. Naturally you have to divide exposure; the one(s) for the stars, and one which is to get a sharp horizon. Because when you lock the camera to the stars, so that they remain dots over longer time - the horizon then becomes blurry due to the rotational movement of earth.
In this setting, you do just simply polar alignment / against the pole star. But not to find specific objects in the night sky, and then the Astro tracker goes to that point. That requires as i already said, much more aliment you need to do every time you move the tripod in any way.
Apparently you can also do with without a star tracker and shorter exposure times in each frame you take of the scene. There is software, which aligns the many photos taken and puts them together, so that the stars remain like dots.
Many small rivers...
While the Astro Tracker themselves don't really cost that much: Seestar S50 PRO is 10.500 SEK and the Star Adventurer GTi is 8700 SEK... but it is everything together; the accessories - which in the end does drive up the cost.
Yet, it is such a fascinating area of photography... i still want to explore over time.
In that perspective, time and development of smart telescopes have never been this good. You have to remember, that the Seestar S50 PRO is a highly mobile device. It weights 2.8 kilo !!
You can even remotely steer it, and it does it's thing by itself... while you look at your mobile phone, and see how the Astro images gradually starts to show (the longer the exposure goes on). Even when you are on the other side of town. Crazy,isn't it ? You can also plan several sessions with different objects during a clear night. The Seestar S50 Pro will then do it for you...
I think that is a much more useful device for me; one who loves Astro and photography, but simply isn't 100% committed to those bigger, stronger and way more heavier, and way more expensive telescopes and CCD chip enabled Astro camera devices. There is astro equipment which can be so heavy, that you barely can lift it. It would require a big car or something, to move it somewhere. All that, just isn't my thing. Truly. Nor do i live on the country side, where i could have a stationary telescope / Astro equipment ...
I work nights, and live with Sal in an apartment in Southern Stockholm. I think the ZWO Seestar S50 PRO is perfect for my living conditions. So, does the Star Adventurer GTi, too.
Orion nebulae with ZWO Seestar S50
Here is a photo somebody made of the famous Orion nebulae - taken with the predecessor smart telescope; the ZWO Seestar S50. Of course, the images has then been worked with proper astro software, in order to iron out the kinks and qirks, as well making finer details come forth, especially the colors.
But being able to do something like that is way more than i ever dreamed of. From an amateur stand point of course. I don't aim at being the best in class. I aim at the experience of actually doing good Astro photography, which stands out compared to just aiming a lens and camera against the sky for a couple of seconds.
So, if this is what you can do with the S50 and S50 PRO - then I am already 10 times more happy than i ever dreamed of to accomplish.
Striving endlessly.... / Law of diminished returns
(Yes, I am aware that you can do even better, and sharper, with more sophisticated, bigger etc equipment... yadda, yadda, yadda. The expensive whirlpool with the law of diminished returns) [By the way; Been there, done that - in photography for 40+ years]
Ultimately; I think the image below speaks for itself. That is a damn fine output from something that only 10 years ago would been impossible. You would have paid prices 10+ times as much, to get close.
That's why I like the middle ground, when it comes to Astro photography. I think the latest, highly affordable smart telescopes do exactly that; striking a fine middle ground.
Software skills will be (almost the most) important
To get the Orion nebulae this brilliant like below shown - you (I) need to lean more about the Astro software apps which bring out / can bring out, the very best from the original much more pale, dull RAW files.
